‘Outstanding’ Liverpool target will now cost Klopp £87m to sign, he’s on fire

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Liverpool will have to pay around £87m to sign reported target Florian Wirtz next summer.

Wirtz has begun the season in scintillating form. Having returned from a serious knee injury last campaign, the 20-year-old has three goals and three assists in seven games for Bayer Leverkusen.

It’s the kind of form which has seen him regularly linked with a move to Liverpool. However, according to Spanish outlet Esport3, the side most interested in Wirtz may well be Barcelona. They claim that the Catalan giants are hot on the trail of the German international.

However, it reportedly won’t be an easy deal to do from Barcelona’s point of view.

That’s because without the presence of a release clause, Leverkusen are said to have slapped a massive price-tag on Wirtz.

Barca’s ‘current financial situation’ is claimed to make the reported £87m asking price ‘difficult’ to reach.

Nevertheless, such is their level of interest, president Joan Laporta is said to be keen to find a way to afford Wirtz. Surprisingly, former reported Liverpool target Gavi is put forward as a player who could be sold to finance the move.

Leverkusen set Wirtz asking price

When it comes to transfer news, few journalist’s voices carry more weight to fans than Fabrizio Romano’s.

And in terms of Florian Wirtz to Liverpool, Romano gave a very interesting update on his YouTube channel back in March.

“The situation of Liverpool is one to watch, because Liverpool are monitoring the player [Wirtz],” said the journalist.

“I’m told that Jurgen Klopp is understood to be a big fan of Florian Wirtz, and so they’re among many clubs who are monitoring this player.”

Obviously, that doesn’t mean that Liverpool are in any way favourites to land the German. Later reports from this summer seemed to indicate that Wirtz may actually favour a move to Manchester City.

It does signal that the Reds are very much in the mix, though. But if this kind of price-tag remains, that may not last too long.

Next summer looks like being the time that Liverpool address their defensive situation. With the forward line still stacked, it’s difficult to see them spending so big on a forward. Maybe Wirtz will just slip out of reach.